There is a particular kind of betrayal in learning that the institution responsible for protecting your country has been contaminating the water you drink.
The Naval Submarine Base New London sits in Groton, Connecticut, on the west bank of the Thames River. It has been there since 1868. It is the home port of the Atlantic submarine fleet, one of the most strategically important military installations in the United States. The people who live in Groton and New London have built their lives around it — working on the base, supporting the families of sailors, running the businesses that serve a military community.
For decades, the base used AFFF — aqueous film-forming foam — to fight and train against fires involving jet fuel and other flammable liquids. AFFF is extraordinarily effective at suppressing fuel fires. It is also extraordinarily persistent in the environment. The per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in AFFF — PFOS and PFOA, primarily — do not break down. They move through soil into groundwater. They stay there.
The Naval Submarine Base New London is listed as an EPA Superfund site. The contamination is not a theory or a suspicion. It is a documented, federally recognized environmental cleanup site.
What Did the Navy Find When It Tested for PFAS?
In 2019, the Navy announced it would test private drinking water wells in the area around the Groton base for PFAS contamination. The announcement came after the Department of Defense released a nationwide assessment of PFAS contamination at military installations — an assessment that identified more than 700 sites across the country where PFAS from firefighting foam had contaminated or potentially contaminated drinking water.
The Navy's fact sheet from that investigation stated plainly: "This private drinking water well investigation will allow us to identify and address any current exposure to PFOA and/or PFOS above EPA's lifetime health advisories."
The investigation is ongoing. What is known is that PFAS contamination attributable to AFFF has been detected in the area — Connecticut's Attorney General specifically cited contamination at the Mystic Oral School for the Deaf in Groton in the January 2024 lawsuit against 28 chemical manufacturers.
The Mystic Oral School is a school for deaf children. It is located less than two miles from the submarine base.
The Broader Pattern
Groton and New London are not unique. The pattern of military base PFAS contamination repeats at installations across the country — at Pease Air Force Base in New Hampshire, at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, at dozens of bases in between. The military used AFFF for decades because it worked. The consequences of that decision are now showing up in the water supplies of the communities that surround those bases.
Connecticut has four confirmed military PFAS contamination sites. The Groton base is the most prominent, but it is not the only one. A similar pattern has played out in Killingworth, where the town's own fire department contaminated the water supply.
What Should Groton and New London Homeowners Do About PFAS?
If you own a home with a private well within a few miles of the Naval Submarine Base, you should test your water for PFAS. This is not a precautionary suggestion — it is a response to a documented contamination source in your area.
Wondering if PFAS is in your drinking water? Enter your ZIP code at CheckYourTap.com to see what's in your tap water — free, in 30 seconds.
The EPA's new PFAS maximum contaminant levels, finalized in 2024, set limits for six PFAS compounds at levels ranging from 4 to 10 parts per trillion. PFAS is associated with kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, immune disruption, and reproductive problems.
If your well water contains PFAS above these levels, the treatment options are well-established: according to the NSF International, reverse osmosis filtration certified to NSF/ANSI 58 removes PFAS effectively. Activated carbon filters can also reduce PFAS, though their effectiveness varies by the specific compounds present and the filter design.
The Navy has a responsibility to address the contamination it caused. That process will take years. Your well is running today.
The Deeper Question
There is a question that the official investigation process doesn't fully address: what about the people who have been drinking this water for the past twenty years, before anyone was testing for PFAS?
PFAS accumulates in the body. It doesn't clear quickly. The health effects associated with PFAS exposure, as documented by the ATSDR, include thyroid disease, elevated cholesterol, immune disruption — effects that often take years to manifest and are difficult to attribute to a specific cause. A person who has been drinking PFAS-contaminated well water since 2005 may be experiencing health effects today that neither they nor their doctor have connected to the water.
This is the part of the PFAS story that gets the least attention. The contamination is being addressed, slowly. The exposure that already happened is not being addressed at all.
Keep Reading
- Fairfield County Has a PFAS Problem and Your Water Bill Won't Fix It Until 2031
- Your Connecticut Water Bill Is Going Up Because of PFAS. Here's What You're Actually Paying For.
- The Connection Between Your Water, Your Thyroid, and Your Hair That Nobody Is Making
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there PFAS in Groton Connecticut drinking water?
PFAS contamination from the Naval Submarine Base New London — an EPA Superfund site — has been detected in the area surrounding the Groton base. The Navy confirmed it would test private wells for PFAS after a 2019 Department of Defense assessment identified more than 700 military sites nationwide with PFAS contamination. Private well owners within a few miles of the base should test their water for PFAS specifically.
What is AFFF and why does it contaminate water?
AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) is firefighting foam used to suppress flammable liquid fires, particularly jet fuel fires. It contains PFOS and PFOA — two of the most dangerous PFAS compounds. When applied during firefighting or training exercises, AFFF soaks into the soil and its PFAS compounds migrate into groundwater. Because PFAS doesn't break down, contamination from foam used decades ago is still present in the water supply today.
Is the Navy responsible for cleaning up PFAS contamination in Groton?
The Naval Submarine Base New London is listed as an EPA Superfund site, and the Navy has acknowledged the contamination. The Navy has been testing private wells in the area, but the full cleanup process will take years. In the meantime, homeowners on private wells near the base should install a reverse osmosis system if PFAS is detected — it removes more than 90% of PFAS compounds. The $300–$800 cost of a point-of-use system is immediate protection while the federal cleanup proceeds.
Sources: NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic, Naval Submarine Base New London PFAS Fact Sheet, 2019; EPA Superfund Site Profile, New London Submarine Base; CT Attorney General William Tong, PFAS Lawsuit Press Release, January 25, 2024; Department of Defense PFAS Site Assessment, 2019.